Do you have PTSD? Here is a definition of PTSD from MIND for better health, “When something traumatic happens in your life, it rocks you to the core. The world is no longer a safe place. It becomes somewhere that bad things can and do happen.”
I believe that there are many of us traversing these varying degrees of human emotional and physical reaction to change in our world. The obvious atrocities of war which are most often associated with PTSD are what we most often refer to, yet I believe there are many other events that evoke similar levels of internal stress and upheaval.
When you go through something you find traumatic it’s understandable to experience some symptoms associated with PTSD, this is sometimes described as an ‘acute stress reaction’. Many people find that these symptoms disappear within a few weeks, but if your symptoms last for longer than a month, you might be given a diagnosis of PTSD.
Look out for warning signs
You might see a change in your behavior or the person you want to support. For example:
- a change in mood, such as getting easily upset, angry or irritated
- a change in performance at work, such as lateness or missing deadlines
- a change in energy levels, such as extreme alertness or a lack of concentration.
If you notice these sorts of changes in someone close to you, you could ask them how they are feeling. This might encourage them to open up. Personally, I have noticed some of these signs along with the feeling that the world is no longer a safe place, and bad things do happen and could happen to me. So, being that I self diagnose so well, (I play a doctor on Tv 🙂 and having noticed most of the warning signs listed above, I am moving to a place of recovery.
Here are a few suggestions for overcoming stress in your life.
- Get to know your triggers
- Confide in someone
- Give yourself time
- Try peer support
- Find specialist support
- Look after your physical health
― The Light in the Heart
“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”
― The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
―
Hope and Love on life's journey 